Shake It Off
by Snoweylily
Summary: Harry Potter - The Boy Who Lived. Alex Rider - The Boy Who Can't Die. Both sat in the Leaky Cauldron. Both ignored the stares from the inns other occupants. Both thought it would be another, boring, day... And both were wrong. Because it was on that particular Monday morning, at that particular time and place, that these two particular boys made Daily Prophet headlines.
1. Chapter 1

**MY 21ST PUBLISHED FANFIC!**

For those of you who don't know me, I'm an Irish Teenage Girl, my name is Rachel, and this is my first Alex Rider/Harry Potter crossover fic!

For those of you who HAVE read my other fanfics, or are (hopefully) CURRENTLY reading one or two, welcome back!

This is an eventual **Alex Rider SLASH Harry Potter** , though I promise you there'll be no graphics involved cause I don't write smut/lemon _(*cough* sex scenes *cough*)_ so if you're homophobic (Shame on you!) or actually WANT a smutty fic (I won't judge) then this is NOT the fanfiction for you!

It's set entirely in **Third Person Point of View** (POV) and I doubt that's gonna change, but, as usual, if it DOES, I will tell you!

Now that all formalities are out of the way, I hope you enjoy my writing!

 **Rachel :D**

 _PS. THIS WAS UPDATED ON 4TH APRIL 2017_

* * *

 **Chapter 1 (It's a prologue really)**

In the back of the Leaky Cauldron, near-invisible in a shadowed corner, sat an enigma.

No one at the bar knew who the fair-haired-dark-eyed stranger was, yet he was young, very young, stirring a mug of tea with a simple twirl of his hand as he read a battered old novel by something called 'James Patterson', the pages turning by themselves.

Underaged Magic.

No one reported it in.

Why would they?

The Ministry, after all, had a knack for finding these very situations... But so far, no one had come in to caution him.

Not yet anyway.

It was almost as if he had beaten the system.

And as the Ministry was still recovering from the defeat of You-Know-Who from over two years previous... It was a very plausible theory.

* * *

Sitting in a less-shaded corner, not so far back, was another boy, also dark-eyed and quite problematic.

He got his fair share of stares, too.

But his name was known by all who sat in the small inn's restaurant.

Harry Potter.

The Boy Who Lived.

The Boy Who Single-handedly defeated the world's greatest and most infamously known dark wizard.

But now, at 20 years of age, he was no longer the main man in the spotlight.

Something, for which, he was extremely grateful of.

* * *

And on that particular Monday morning, at that particular time and place, it was these two particular boys that made Daily Prophet headlines.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

*BANG*

Everyone jumped as a group of seven men all dressed in black burst through the door.

And there, on each of their inner left arms, only visible due to the sleeve-less shirts they wore... was the Dark Mark.

Silence.

Tom slowly put down the glass he was polishing, "… Harry?"

The part-time Auror sighed and reluctantly put down his drink, "On it".

He stood up, raising his wand.

" _Petrificus Totalus!"_

* * *

And that's when all hell broke loose.

* * *

"Crucio!"

"Imperio!"

"Confringo!"

Once the dark wizards realised that Harry had paralysed one of their members, they fought back, giving him all they had.

Some of the other patrons in the bar quickly jumped to their 'saviours' help, while more simply ran away screaming. But throughout the battle, the mysterious boy in the back remained motionless, continuing to read and sip at his tea, not giving a single damn that there was a vicious duel going on in front of him.

That was, of course, until one of the men bashed into him, knocking over his table and smashing his mug.

* * *

Standing up, Rodolphus dusted himself off, before spinning around to face the blonde.

The teenager glared at him, putting down the worn novel, before slowly standing up, "Well, that wasn't very nice, now, was it?"

Lestrange smirked, "So what are you gonna about it boy? You're a kid. Underaged… You can't fight back".

"Oh, can't I?"

A split second later, the Death Eater was pinned to the wall behind him.

* * *

The boy hadn't even lifted a finger.

* * *

Struggling against his bonds, he began to panic as his captor came towards him, a predatory gleam in his eye.

"What the HELL have you done to me?" He yelled, and the blonde frowned, "Not as much as I want to do, unfortunately… But I guess that this will have to do for the moment".

He raised his hand, and with a simple snap of his fingers, Rodolphus Lestrange collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

* * *

From across the room, Harry Potter stared at the boy with barely-concealed shock.

Wand-less magic?

At _his_ age?

"Impedimenta!" He yelled, quickly snapping back to the battle at hand as he just narrowly avoided an Unforgivable.

"Giving up yet?" He opponent sneered.

Something Rowle, he believed his name was.

"Locomotor Mortis" He shot back, "How's that for an answer?"

The fair-haired wizard collapsed to the ground, his legs rendered useless for the time being.

Quickly picking up the Death Eater's wand, Harry continued on, shooting down Jugson as he passed.

* * *

The fight was short and brutal, the cloaked figures easily over-powering the few uninjured witches and wizards, until all that remained were the seven Death Eaters, Harry Potter, and the mysterious boy with no wand.

* * *

"Give it up, kids" Goyle Sr. smirked, "You don't stand a chance".

Harry frowned.

 _Kids?_

Glancing to his right, he noticed the blonde teenager standing empty-handed next to him.

"What the hell are you doing?" He hissed, but the boy didn't even look at him, "Saving both our asses for a start".

Keeping his guard up in case the dark wizards attacked, Harry turned partially towards him, "How? You're underaged. You don't have your wand with you-"

"I don't have a wand".

Silence.

Travers sneered arrogantly, but shifted uncomfortably on the spot, his body betraying his nerves, "No wand? He doesn't stand a chance! Is this kid serious?"

The boy's cold brown eyes met his evenly, "Yes. I am. They're unreliable, easy to break, and quite frankly, your dependency on them is rather dangerous".

"You don't have a wand?" Harry repeated, "You're underaged, doing magic, and you don't have a wand?!"

"For fucks sake" He growled, "Why the hell would I use a wand, when I DON'T FUCKING NEED ONE?!"

* * *

And with a single sweep of his hand, the seven Death Eaters were sent plummeting to the cold ground below, all unconscious.

* * *

He stared at them, before turning back to the elder wizard and raising an eyebrow, "… See?"

"How the HELL did you do that?" Harry whispered, slowly lowering his wand.

The teenager sighed, turning to him, "Look, man, I don't have time to answer your questions, because, unlike you, I have to deal with the son of a bitch who's about to walk through that door and yell at me".

*BANG*

Everyone slowly turned to face the door to the inn as it swung shut behind someone.

Kingsley Shacklebolt.

Minister for Magic.

* * *

His eyes roamed the room for a minute, before finally settling on the blonde-haired boy standing in the middle of the room.

"The Ministry received intelligence that at six twenty-three this evening, you performed illegal underage wizardry. As a clear violation of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, you are hereby-"

"Yea, yea, whatever. I've heard this same speech before, so how about we just skip to the end of this little tirade of yours, where you ask a very important question, I give you my answer, you apologise profusely, drop all charges that were made against me, and turn around and walk back through that door with your tail between your legs, yea?"

They all stared at the boy in question.

He just talked back to the _Minister_ of _Magic_.

He was done for.

Kingsley glared, "What is your name, brat?"

The boy smirked, "Alexander. Jonathan. Rider".

The effect was immediate.

Kinsley paled.

Dramatically.

"Oh, I- I didn't- I didn't know- Mr Rider, sir, I'm so sorry. Please, accept my most profound apologies, I did not know that it was you, and if I had, I most certainly wouldn't have-"

"Just go, man" He interrupted, "Before you embarrass yourself even further".

Kingsley quickly nodded, "Of course, sir".

And true to the younger wizard's predictions, the Minister did a remarkably accurate impression of a scolded dog as he left, his proverbial tail tucked firmly between his leg.

* * *

All eyes were on 'Alexander', who met everyone's gaze squarely.

Harry stared at him, "… Who the bloody hell are you?"

He smirked, "I'm Alex Rider... And to the government, Mr Potter, I'm even more famous than you".


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Alex looked around the room, seeming annoyed.

Tables were knocked over, chairs were upturned, and there were broken bottles of butterbeer, smashed mugs of tea, and cracked cups of brandy on the old wooden floor below.

The Death Eaters were in a pile in one corner of the room, while the other wizards, the few that were left, were crowding on the opposite side of the room, holding their injuries to their bodies protectively as they stared at distrustfully the boy standing in the middle of the room.

And then, with a simple snap of his fingers, all the broken furniture in the room repaired itself and sat back upright in the places they had come from.

Glancing over at his old seat in the dark corner, he spotted his James Patterson novel lying askew on the floor beneath, and before Harry could even blink, that same book was comfortably resting in the blonde's hands.

* * *

He hadn't even moved.

* * *

Glancing over at Tom, who hadn't moved at all throughout the fight, Alex gave a small smile, "No damage done, right?"

Tossing him a few silver sickles, he headed for the back of the pub, "Thanks for the tea".

And he was gone.

* * *

By the time Harry had snapped out of it and chased after the boy, he was after walking out into the chilly March air in the courtyard, and was facing the wall that would lead him to Diagon Alley.

"Hey, wait up!" He yelled, running after him, but the blonde paid him no attention, instead, waving his hand at the wall, which easily slid apart for him.

Harry stopped.

* * *

Did he just-

No, no he couldn't have-

I mean… Could he-

* * *

Shaking his head, he quickly followed him into the busy street, watching as he calmly strode past Flourish & Blotts… Quality Quidditch Supplies… Ollivanders… Before finally coming to a stop at the entrance to Knockturn Alley.

Once there, he spun around to face his pursuer, a movement so quick and unexpected, that Harry almost tripped and ran into him.

"Why are you following me?"

"Because… Because… I'm not following you!" He shot back, "We just happen to be going in the same direction!"

Pleased with himself for thinking up the lie on the spot, he waited to see what would happen next.

Alex, however, merely raised an eyebrow at him, glanced into Knockturn Alley, where people in dark cloaks lingered in shadowed corners, and then turned back to him, "… Dumbledore's Golden Boy hangs out with Death Eaters now?"

Harry flushed brightly.

Damn.

"Look, I just… You're a kid!" He finally exclaimed, "But you don't use a wand, instead, you do magic without one better than Albus Dumbledore himself! You shouldn't have a tenth of the control that you do, yet alone be able to successfully use it!"

His right eyebrow rose up to join the left, "And why the hell not?"

"Because… Just because!" Harry fumed, furious that a kid, a _kid_ , was acting more mature than he was, "It's just not possible. It's not _meant_ to be possible".

"Yes, well, I was always one for breaking the rules" He shot back, "And now, if you'll excuse me, I believe I have my room to get back to".

He turned to disappear down the side street.

"WAIT!" Harry yelled suddenly, startling a passer-by who shot him a dirty look saviour-of-the-wizarding-world-or-not.

Alex sighed, before slowly turning back around to face him, "... What now?"

"Back to my room".

"… I'm sorry?"

"Back to my _room_ " Harry repeated, "That's what you said".

He stared at him like he was mad, "And…?"

"And that means you're probably staying in an inn" He continued quickly, "Paying for a room in Knockturn Alley".

"What, exactly, are you getting at?"

* * *

Harry stared at him, looking like a kicked puppy.

Alex stared back, looking like a suspicious guard dog.

Silence.

* * *

"Stay with me!" The older wizard suddenly blurted.

" _… Excuse me?_ "

 _Well_ , Harry decided, _it's too late to back out now._

"Stay with me, at my house" He explained, "It's got three or four floors, plenty of bedrooms, and loads of space. In return for some light housework now and again, you can have a room for free. It'd save you money, get you out of this… creepy… place, and you wouldn't even have to buy your own food!"

Alex frowned, studying him, "… And what's in it for you?"

"Nothing" He replied, just that little bit too quickly.

Another frown, "Nothing?"

"… I'm interested" He finally admitted, "In finding out more about you, about how you did all that back at the Leaky Cauldron, about how you're able to control everything… I'm curious".

"Curious… " Alex muttered, before suddenly looking up at him, "Alright. Deal".

"Wait… Seriously?"

He shrugged, "Sure, why not? Not like I've got anything better to do. I'll just get my bags, then you can lead the way".

* * *

Stepping into the long hallway, Harry shut the door behind them, "I'M HOME!"

"IN THE KITCHEN".

Alex frowned, eyeing the portrait of a sleeping Walburga Black distrustfully, before warily following his host down the corridor, passing a single door and a staircase on the way. Walking down the narrow steps of the stairs opposite, he came out into the basement below, which was surprisingly warm and roomy, though he suspected it had something to do with the large fireplace at the end of the room, the flames lit with magic.

And there, in the middle of the room, was a large table.

And at that table, sat a tall, well-built man, his face obscured by the Daily Prophet he was reading.

Alex tensed up slightly, staying on his guard as the man lowered the newspaper, and grinned at them, "Ah, Harry, bringing home strays again, I see... And not a bad looker, either".

He glanced the blonde up and down appreciatively, "Far from it, in fact".

* * *

Shoulder-length dark brown hair.

Striking grey eyes.

And a casual flirt?

There was only one person that this man could be.

* * *

Alex smirked, "The admiration goes both ways, Mr Black, I assure you".

"And a sharp tongue as well. Why Remus, you ought to start getting jealous" He stood up and reached out to shake his hand, "But please, call me Sirius. And you are?"

"Alex Rider".

*BANG*

They all quickly looked over at the other man in the room as he dropped a metal pot in the sink. And as he turned around to face them, it was clear he was startled.

* * *

Alex frowned and stared at him.

Tall.

Slim.

Light brown hair and a small moustache.

Remus Lupin.

* * *

And he knew of a one Alex Rider _very_ well indeed.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Remus stared at him.

This was _Alex Rider._

 _The_ Alex Rider.

And he was here, in their kitchen, with Harry.

Harry knew _Alex Rider_.

And he was...

Surprisingly young-?

* * *

Remus frowned, "... How old are you?"

Alex studied him carefully, "Depends on who wants to know".

"Alex!" Harry scolded, "He's my godfather!"

"Yea, well, my godfather wasn't too friendly" the Blonde shot back, "So forgive me for not trusting yours".

Remus raised an eyebrow, "Merlin, they weren't lying when they said you were snarky, were they?"

* * *

Alex's gaze snapped back to his.

Harry froze, suddenly realising that his guest and his honorary uncle seemed to be acquaintances.

And Sirius just stood there in all his confused glory.

* * *

"You two... know each other?"

"No" Alex replied.

"Yes" Remus said.

They stared at each other.

Remus sighed, "Not... Not exactly".

Sirius blinked, "... Perhaps we should sit down".

* * *

Ten minutes later and the wolf and the wizard were still staring at each another, Alex trying to figure out just _who the hell does this guy work for?!_ and Remus trying to convince himself that _this wasn't_ _ **that**_ _Alex Rider, there are plenty of Alex Riders, it's probably just coincidence-_

"So" Harry began suddenly, "Care to... you know... explain? Siri and I are kinda in the dark here".

Both wizards ignored him, still trying to figure each other out. Alex was contemplating on whether to call Jones or not and getting her to run a full background-check on one Remus Lupin, godfather of none other than the Boy-Who-Lived. Remus, on the other hand, knew he had to gain the blonde's trust because if this was _that_ Alex Rider then he sure as hell didn't want to get on his bad side.

Remus sighed, then took a deep breath.

He knew what he had to do.

He needed courage, and if it turned out the blonde _wasn't_ who he was almost-100%-certain he was... he'd also need a shovel and a body bag.

* * *

"I'm a werewolf".

* * *

Both Harry and Sirius froze, staring at Remus in a state of terrified shock.

He just told Alex that he was _a fucking werewolf!_

He didn't even tell _Harry_ that he was a werewolf until he figured it out himself!

So what the _hell_ was he doing telling a _complete stranger_ his _darkest secret?!_

* * *

Alex raised an eyebrow at him, "... And I'm Alex Rider".

Remus grinned.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Alex".

"Likewise, Mr Lupin" He replied, "Would you like some help cooking?"

"Only if you drop the whole 'mister Lupin' thing" He said, standing up, "Call me Remus, please".

"Alright then, Remus. I'll make a start with the carrots".

* * *

Harry and Sirius stared at them, mouths dropped open, eyes blown wide.

Slowly blinking, the younger wizard turned to face his godfather, "... What the _hell_ just happened?"

"... I have no idea" He replied faintly, still watching the two other occupants of room, who were happily chatting away with each other as they cooked.

"Did Remus just-"

"Yea".

"And Alex gave his-"

"Yup".

"And now they're-"

"Best friends, it would seem" Sirius finished, "... Remus told him he was a werewolf".

"I know".

"... _I_ didn't know Remus was a werewolf until 2nd year".

"I was in 3rd" Harry replied slowly, "Why did he just...?"

"Haven't got a clue" Black admitted, "... They seem alright now, though. When Alex first came in, I thought they were going to start hexing each other".

"I thought Moony was going to come out" He agreed, "They... know each other?"

"Remus knows Alex, anyway" Sirius replied, "I don't think your friend know him, however. He seemed more..."

"Suspicious" Harry finished, and he nodded, "Yea. Suspicious. He immediately turned attack mode on when Reme said he knew him".

"But now they're... friends".

"Looks like it".

"... Alright then".

* * *

Sirius turned back to his newspaper, "How long have you know this guy?"

"About... Maybe... Possibly... An hour?"

"... An hour?"

"An hour" Harry confirmed sheepishly, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck, "There was this... uh... this thing... at the... inn..."

"This thing at the inn?" Sirius questioned, giving him a dry look.

"Yea. There was, ah... squirm... with a few... Death Eaters... and... yea" He finished lamely.

His godfather sighed, "... I heard about it on the radio, Harry. It was a full-fledged attack... And I _distinctly_ remember thinking that you might have had something to do with it".

"Well it's not like I _lured_ them there!" He exclaimed defensively, "I don't actively go out to find trouble, you know!"

"Mmhm" Sirius hummed disbelievingly, taking a sip of coffee from his mug, "That's what your father said at your age, too... So, come one, how did you meet him?"

"Well... When the bar got attacked by the Death Eaters... I fought back".

"Naturally".

"And he... also... kind of fought back?"

"Is he a good fighter?"

He smirked, "You could say that".

"What type of wand does he have?"

"... He doesn't have one".

* * *

Silence.

* * *

Sirius stared at him from over the black-and-white newspaper he held in his hands, "... I'm sorry?"

"A wand" Harry repeated, "He doesn't have one. Never did, either, apparently".

"Then how the hell did he fight?"

His godson shrugged, "Everything he did was from his hands only. No stick, no wand, no broom, nothing".

"Wand-less Magic..." He muttered in wonder, "At his age?"

"Sirius... From what I've seen... And from what I've heard..." Harry began cautiously, "I honestly wouldn't be surprised if he was even more powerful than Voldemort ever was himself".

* * *

"... What?"

"While we were there, Kingsley came in, blaring about underaged Magic. The second that kid mentioned his name, he was sent running... Have you ever known Kingsley to back down from a fight like that?" Harry asked.

Sirius stared, "... Okay. So. Here's what we know. His name is Alex Rider-"

"Alexander Jonathan Rider".

"-Alexander Jonathan Rider" He corrected, shooting his godson a withering glare, "He's young, probably late teens... The Minister of Magic is scared of him... Remus knows _of_ him... Remus also seems to trust him... He doesn't have a wand, yet he can still do magic... He's powerful, possibly as strong as You-Know-Who was in his prime... Is anything else I'm missing?"

"Yea, actually" Came a voice from behind him, "I've also got great hearing".

* * *

They both jumped and spun around only to find one Alex Rider and a Remus Lupin leaning back against the kitchen counters, smirking at them.

* * *

Alex turned to face the wolf, "Do they always try to secretly conspire when you aren't looking?"

Remus sighed, " _Try_ being the word".

"Hey! We are extremely good at conspiring!" Sirius whined, and Harry pouted, "We're better at being spies than you anyway!"

Remus let out a loud snort and bit down on his knuckles to stop laughing.

Alex raised an eyebrow at him, looking strangely yet remarkably amused, "Oh, believe me, Harry, I _sincerely_ doubt that".


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Hmm, you know, this is actually really good" Harry hummed appreciatively, digging into his dinner, and Sirius nodded enthusiastically, "Seriously, guys, it really is. Alex. You. Can. _Cook!_ "

Remus smirked at the blonde, "And speaking of, who actually taught you?"

Alex frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you sure as hell know your way around a kitchen" He explained, "And you were doing some real restaurant-worthy stuff with those carrots... Also, you know the difference between a fillet knife and a carving knife".

"For the last time, Remus, _there is no difference!_ " Sirius exclaimed, and the wolf sighed, nodding towards his husband, "See what I mean?"

Alex smiled at the married wizard's antics, "My, uh... My uncle taught me. I knew the difference between blanching and boiling when I was seven".

"Was he a chef or something?" Harry asked.

Alex paused, "... No".

The older wizard blinked, put off by the sudden tone, "Oh... Alright, then... What _did_ he do?"

The blonde chewed his food very carefully before answering, "... He was an overseas bank manager".

* * *

Remus's head immediately snapped up, and Alex calmly met his gaze, as if daring him to make a comment.

Harry shared a look with Sirius.

There was obviously something more to the 'overseas bank manager' uncle.

* * *

Remus slowly swallowed, before quickly changing the subject, "So, uh, Harry, do anything... _exciting_... today?"

He groaned, "Oh sweet Merlin, are you guys _ever_ going to let this go?!"

"Probably not" Sirius replied, grinning despite his mouthful of food, "The fact that you managed to get into a _Death-Eater duel_ while _off-duty_ , having _lunch_ , and in a completely _calm and peaceful s_ etting... Yea, I'm not going to let you forget this. Were you cursed as a baby or what?"

Harry rolled his eyes at him, "Haha, very funny, good one Black".

"I thought so" He replied smugly, "But seriously, what actually happened? It'd be nice to know the true story before Skeeter gets her claws in".

"Well..." Harry began slowly, "I guess... I mean, I was there... and then... then they-"

"It was like this" Alex interrupted, surprising all three at the table, "We were in the Leaky Cauldron. Seven Death Eaters walked in. Harry paralysed one of them. I knocked out one of them. Harry slowed down a guy, before leg-locking him. And then I…"

"Knocked out every single one of them with a flick of your wrist" Harry finished, "You seriously got to teach me that someday".

"Okay, okay, but how, exactly, did you two get into the fight?" Sirius asked again, and his godson sighed, "Well, being the part-time Auror who defeated Voldemort kinda made me their number one target, so I was automatically forced to duel".

"Of course you were" Remus replied dryly, not believing his godson for one minute, "So you just, what, attacked a group of highly powerful and highly vengeful Death Eaters? By yourself?"

"He sure could handle them, though" Alex chimed in, "I mean, six against one? Those weren't very good odds".

Sirius frowned, "Six? I thought you said there were seven?"

Alex paused and Harry grinned, "Yea. He did. That's because blondie over here took one out".

"... Took out a good fighter or a bad fighter?"

"Oh, good fighter, definitely good... Just not against Alex" He finished.

The younger wizard flushed and ducked down his head, "Oh shut up. It's not like he had time to fight back".

"Exactly" Harry replied, staring at him, "That's my point. You didn't duel him, you obliterated him".

"Okay, see, now I'm curious" Sirius announced, "Who, exactly, did you obliterate?"

He muttered something unintelligible, and the man frowned, "Who did you say?"

Alex remained silent, stabbing his dinner with more force than necessary.

The two adults turned to Harry for answers.

He grinned.

* * *

"He pinned Rhodopholus Lestrange to a wall without even touching him".

* * *

"... I'm sorry, what?" Remus eventually asked.

Alex sighed, shrugging as he looked back up, "What? The bastard annoyed me".

"He knocked over your cup of tea" Harry shot back, and the teen paused, "… As I said, he annoyed me".

Lupin stared at him, "… How?"

"… Like I told you, he knocked over my-"

"No, not that 'how'. How did you hold him against a wall without laying a finger on him?"

Alex shifted uncomfortably, and Remus knew that he was straying into dangerous territory.

"I just... snapped, I guess? I don't know. I didn't think about it!" He rushed, "He annoyed me, and so..."

"You obliterated him" Harry finished smugly.

"Will you stop staying I obliterated him!" Alex exclaimed, "The guy's fine!"

They all stared at him.

"The guy's... mostly fine".

"He's got a few broken bones" Harry summarised, still grinning, "We're not giving out to you for it! You should be proud! It was one less Death Eater I had to deal with".

"Which means it's one less wizard that could have _seriously injured him_ " Remus finished, glaring at his now-sheepish godson.

He transferred his scowl to the blonde boy sitting next to him, "Not that you knocking him out was any better, of course. I don't want you duelling any Death Eaters either, got it?"

"Yes, mother" He teased, and the other two wizards laughed at Remus's affronted look, but the wolf couldn't hold back a small smile at the term of endearment.

* * *

Standing up, Sirius stretched and yawned, "Right, well, I don't know about you lot, but I am _exhausted_. And after your little adventure today", He continued, pointing at the two youngest in the room, "I expect that you are as well".

He turned to Alex, "You got a place to stay?"

"Yea... About that..." Harry began awkwardly, "Alex here kinda needs a place to stay, and I was hoping that place could be here?"

The blonde sighed, "Okay. First of all, I don't _need_ a place to stay. I'm perfectly happy in Knockturn Alley. And secondly, what happened to 'you can stay at my place'. Cause this ain't exactly yours, now, is it?"

"Staying at that monstrosity instead of here? Where there's good company? And most certainly enough room? Nonsense" Sirius growled, " As of now, you are staying here. Understood?"

Alex gave a mock salute, "Yes sir".

He gave a cheeky grin, "Good".

Harry stood up with the blonde, "What room?"

Sirius studied him for a minute, "... The one across from yours should do fine" He replied.

The younger wizard blinked at him, as did his husband, "... You sure?"

He slowly nodded, "Yea... Yea, I'm sure. It needs to be used eventually, right?"

Harry gave him a small smile, "Right... Well, it's this way".

He quickly led Alex from the kitchen and upstairs.

* * *

"There's not an angry boggart waiting for me, is there?"

Harry turned to the blonde, confused, "An angry boggart?"

"Yea. Sirius didn't really... ah... seem too fond of this room".

He blinked, "Oh... Oh, right, yea, that... No, no, there isn't any boggart waiting for you, angry or otherwise".

"Then...?"

Harry sighed, "... It was his brother's room".

"I didn't know Sirius had a brother".

"He doesn't... Not anymore".

"Ah".

"Yea".

Alex slowly nodded, "... I could stay somewhere else, you know. I don't want to impose on you guys or make Sirius sad or uncomfortable-"

"Or just be quiet and accept the fact you're staying here now" Harry interrupted, smirking at him, "We don't mind, honestly. And this will be... good... for Siri. His brother... Regulus... he, uh... he's been gone a while now. About twenty years, I guess... It'll do him good to have someone else in there".

He shot a sideways grin at the blonde, "And besides, none of the other room have been used in quite literally decades. If you want an angry boggart, I'd suggest staying in one of those".

Alex laughed, "No thanks. I think I'll take my chances with a vengeful ghost over one of those".

"Well, it's a good thing you're just across the hall from me, then" Harry said, stopping outside a black wooden door, "You can call for help if you get attacked by a vengeful ghost and/or an angry boggart".

"I think I can handle one pissed off creature" He replied, and Harry smirked, reaching out and pushing open the door to his new room, "Don't come crying to me when you get attacked by a leprechaun then".

"Duly noted" Alex replied, stepping into the room and turning around.

* * *

The walls were a pale grey and draped with emerald and silver banners. The floor was a dark black wood, and Alex could just about make out the hastily painted over Black Family Crest on the wall above the bed, along with... French? He couldn't make out the words properly. The room was surprisingly dust-free, however, and Alex warmed to it immediately.

* * *

"Right, well... goodnight, then" Harry said, awkwardly hovering at the door.

"Goodnight" He echoed, "... See you in the morning, yea?"

"Yea" He smiled, and Alex couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

This wasn't turning out so bad after all.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Once both boys had safely left the room, Sirius turned in his chair and raised an eyebrow at his husband, "So... You know Alex, then?"

Remus sighed and stood up, carrying his plate to the sink, "Yea. I've never met him personally before... But I most definitely know of him".

"How?"

"I... I can't tell you".

"Why not?" Sirius pressed, bringing his own empty dinner wear over to the kitchen counter.

"I just can't, alright!" Remus growled, his eyes flashing a dangerous shade of amber, and Black immediately backed off, silver eyes dropping to the floor before in submission to the wolf, a low whine emerging from his throat.

* * *

Lupin took a deep breath to calm himself, "... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped, I just..."

Sirius remained staring at his shoes, knowing that his mate needed to gather his thoughts right now.

"I just..." He began again, "... I'm worried".

He cautiously looked up, only to find Remus's eyes glazed over and distant, as if recalling old memories.

"Alex, he... he had a bad start in life" He continued, "I can't tell you how or why, it's not that I don't want to, I literally _can't_... The government swore me to secrecy".

Sirius blinked, surprised. Just as he was about to ask how, when, where, what, and why, however, the wolf continued.

"It was pure chance that I found out about him... It was about two years ago, just after the war. I was in the Ministry of Magic, sorting out some paperwork or something like that... And he was there. I smelt him immediately, the power that boy gives off... He was having a shouting match with the Head of the Auror Department. Really put him in his place, too, based on how pale the man looked..."

He sighed and tiredly ran a hand over his face, "He... intrigued me. I mean, not even Harry smells that powerful and he defeated _Voldemort_... So I did some digging... Asked around, pulled up a few papers, even went into Muggle London... Then _they_ contacted me".

"They?" Sirius asked quietly, as if afraid he'd break the spell, and Remus absentmindedly nodded, "Yea... The English government... Obviously, I can't tell you which sector, but the woman I spoke to was... not a muggle, but not a wizard. Possibly... a squib? But she smelt different. Acted different, too. Very... detached, yet still concerned... She explained to me what Alex had done... what Alex _is_ doing... And then gave me two dozen different documents to sign, swearing me to secrecy".

"Why didn't you ever mention it before?" Sirius asked quietly, and Remus shrugged, "I couldn't. Not properly anyway, unless I wanted to be trialled for treason... There was no point in only telling half the story, and this was just after the war. Everyone was still celebrating... still grieving... I didn't want to add even more confusion and secrets to your pile. Merlin knows we had enough things to sort through".

* * *

His husband slowly nodded, before stepping forwards and carefully wrapping his arms around the wolf, his head resting on his shoulder, "Just... Promise me you'll tell me if something you know could interfere with us. If Alex has... I don't know... the American government after him".

Remus laughed and leaned back into the warm embrace, "No, I don't quite think it's _that_ extreme... But then again".

Sirius squeezed him threateningly, and he grinned, "Don't worry. I'll tell you if it's important. I promise".

"Thank you" He muttered, placing a gentle kiss on the back of his neck, "So, he is a Pureblood, a Half-blood, a Muggle-born, what?"

"Alex?" Remus asked surprised, "... I don't actually know. I mean, everything I found out about him wasn't actually a whole lot. Enough to make me sick to my stomach, but... as for the magic part of him? I don't know anything asides from what I learned today".

"That he's powerful, has no wand, and is an expert at non-verbal wandless magic?" He finished, "Hmm... Pureblood?"

"That's what I thought too" Lupin agreed, "But you rarely meet a Pureblood and not know their family name. And I've never even _heard_ of a Rider family, let alone a Pureblooded one".

"True... But he might not be Pureblood. I mean, look at Harry and Voldemort. They're both Half-bloods, as much as the latter refused to admit it. Before I met Alex today, I thought those two were the most powerful wizards that ever lived. Dumbledore's a Half-blood. And so was Gellert Grindelwald... In fact, now that I think about it, it's _your_ blood type that we should be watching out for, not these Pureblood supremacists".

He smirked and turned to face his husband, "Well I, for one, happen to think I'd make a dashing Dark Lord".

"And I don't doubt that for one second" Sirius replied, "But you know what would make you even more dashing? If my Pureblooded self was standing right next to you".

Remus hummed thoughtfully, "Yes, I would like a slave".

"Hey!"

"Oh whist, as if I'd trade you for anyone" He calmed, wrapping his arms around his mate's waist, and Sirius huffed, "Well I bloody hope so. I'd hate to return to Azkaban for a murder that I _actually_ committed".

Remus snorted and Black smiled at him.

* * *

"... How old do you think he is?"

"Alex?"

"Yea".

Remus sighed, "I don't know... Younger than I'd like, anyway... Seventeen, I'd say? Possibly eighteen?"

"Still a teenager, then" Sirius summarised, and he nodded, "Oh yea, definitely... But hey, didn't Harry say Shacklebolt came in? Talking about underaged magic?"

He blinked.

"Yea. He did... I'd forgotten about that... But that'd make him younger again".

Remus shook his head, "Not by much... Based on that, and based on what I know... I'd say he's just turned seventeen".

Sirius frowned, and his husband watched him carefully, "Why? What's wrong?"

"There's just something... bothering me... about this whole situation".

"And that is…?"

He hesitated, "Well... If Alex has only _just_ turned 17… Then why isn't he still in Hogwarts?"

* * *

Remus froze.

It was only March.

That would mean he should have at least another 10 weeks of school, or almost four months if he sat all his N.E.W.T's.

So what the hell was he doing wandering around Knockturn Alley and beating up Death Eaters for?

* * *

"… I think we need to speak to Dumbledore".


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Remus whispered as he and his husband walked down the silent hallways.

Sirius nodded, "Of course it is. I thought of it".

He whacked him on the shoulder, "Be serious, will you?"

The animagus turned to him with a straight face, "But Remus... I'm always serious".

It took all of two seconds for them to dissolve into uncontrollable laughter.

* * *

"Black, Lupin, what is the meaning of this?!"

* * *

They both immediately sobered up and spun around, only to come face to face with their old childhood enemy.

Sirius grinned, "Snape, how good to see you!"

And that's only partly a lie, he thought to himself.

* * *

After the war ended, and Harry had explained a few things, Sirius had grudgingly come to respect the ole' bat, and no longer mercilessly teased his ex-arch-nemesis.

The admiration, however, was purely one-way.

* * *

"I asked you once before, Black, but I won't ask a third time. _What_ are you doing here?!" He snapped.

Remus sighed, "We don't want to fight, Severus. We're here on Harry's behalf".

The potions master's eyes immediately softened.

* * *

Another thing that had changed after the war, was his treatment of the 'Golden Boy'.

Neither Sirius nor Remus knew what, exactly, had gone down, but at the end of it all, both student and teacher had emerged from the shrieking shack with all hatred and anger vanished between them.

Snape, Sirius had decided, had gotten a soft spot for the now-20-year-old boy, and despite his... less-than-pleasant... Attitude towards said boy's godfather, if the reason that they were there was because of Harry, then he would reluctantly hear them out.

* * *

"What about him?"

"He... He has a new friend" Sirius explained, and the Professor glared, "And why, exactly, is Potters 'friendship' such a large concern to you?"

"It's a boy... A 17-year-old-ish boy".

"... Unless Potter and this _boy_ are planning to have underage s-"

"OKAY!" Black exclaimed loudly, "Too much information. And _completely_ wrong... I think..."

Remus shot him a dark look, before turning back to Snape, "What we _mean_ , is that this boy is... different... as such. He's powerful. _Extremely_ powerful... And we plan on asking Dumbledore just why the hell he isn't currently in Hogwarts".

"Right... Try the Transfiguration Room..." Snape replied, continuing down the corridor, "And I'd hurry if I were you. He's leaving for a meeting soon".

Remus and Sirius spared one look at each other, before taking off down the hall.

* * *

Bursting in through the doors to the Classroom 1B, they both came to an abrupt stop.

Startled, wide-eyed faces stared back at them.

Faces of at least two dozen Second years.

They had Transfiguration first class on Tuesdays.

Fuck.

* * *

"Mr Black, Mr Lupin, I assume you have a reason for barging into my classroom and interrupting the class like this, yes?"

They both jumped at the voice and looked up, only to find Professor McGonagall staring back at them, a bird sitting on the desk next to her.

And a lot of other desks had birds on them as well, Remus noticed, while the select few smart children, had managed to successfully turn theirs into Goblets.

* * *

"Ah… We're l-looking for Professor D-Dumbledore, ma'am" Sirius stuttered.

It seems that after all these years, the terrifying witch still had a hold on him.

"And you did not look for him in his office, why?"

"Well, we were going to" He continued quickly, taking small steps backwards, so that his husband stood between him and the Deputy Head, "B-But… We… Ah… Ran into Snape, and… Well… It's all his fault!"

She frowned, "All Professor Snape's fault? Now where have I heard that story before… I would have thought that after all these years, Mr Black, you two would have gotten over your childhood immaturities".

"Forgive us, Minerva" Remus said, shooting a dirty look at his partner, "It seems that Sirius will never grow up… I, on the hand, am a tad more sensible. You said that the Headmaster was in his office?"

"Yes, I believe he is, Remus, I can-"

* * *

"Remus Lupin?"

* * *

He frowned, and turned at the sound of his name, only to find a somewhat scared looking 12-year-old staring back at him.

The boy spoke again, "R-Remus Lupin, right? That's your name?"

Walking over to his desk, the 6ft 2 wizard crouched down so they were equal height, "Yes. It is… And you are?"

"R-Robert Stebbins" He replied quietly, his blond hair falling over his eyes as he ducked down his head.

"Stebbins…" Remus muttered, "You're in Hufflepuff, I presume?"

He nodded, shakily.

Realising that he was probably scaring the boy, he put on a small smile, "I went to school with your father, you know".

"I k-know" He said, "My dad said… That y-you… That y-you're… Are you really a werewolf?"

* * *

Remus's smile immediately dropped.

* * *

Swallowing nervously, he turned to face McGonagall, as if asking for permission.

She nodded slightly.

Forcing back on the smile, he turned back to the 12-year-old, "Yes… Yes, I really am a werewolf".

Immediately, the class burst out in excited chatter.

"QUIET!" McGonagall ordered, but they paid her no attention, instead turning to face their friend and the werewolf as they spoke again.

"So… C-Can you transform… Whenever you like?" Robert asked.

"… No" Remus finally replied, a touch of remorse in his voice, "No, I can't… But you see the man standing behind me?"

"Yea".

He smirked, "He can".

* * *

Wide-eyes all turned to stare at Sirius, who, up until now, had done a pretty damn good job at remaining invisible.

"Will you show us?"

"Transform!"

"That's so cool!"

Sirius stared back in shock, lost as to what to say.

* * *

"Yea, Pads, show them" Remus teased, and he turned to McGonagall, "Professor! You can't possibly sanction this!"

"Well, we ARE in Transfiguration class" She pondered, "… Call it my way of exacting revenge on you interrupting my classroom like you did".

"But… But…"

"NOW, Mr Black".

Growling under his breath on how this felt _exactly_ like getting scolded did back in his time at Hogwarts, Sirius reluctantly stepped forwards, "Alright kiddies, gather round, gather round. Time for a magic show".

A split second later, where the tall, graceful man had once been, there stood a large, black, wolf-like dog.

* * *

Everyone immediately started squealing and gushing over how cute he was, as they all quickly ran over to their new 'pet'.

Standing off to the side, Remus chuckled, "Sirius always did love being centre of attention".

"Quite" Minerva replied, "Now so, I believe you wished to speak with Albus?"

"If he's not too busy, then please".

"Of course," She replied, before gesturing towards the door, "After you Remus".


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"He's gotten himself into quite the bit of trouble, hasn't he?"

Remus turned in surprise to his old Head of House as she suddenly broke the silence.

They were a floor below Dumbledore's office, and so far, had walked along the corridors together with a companionable quietness.

"Harry?" He asked, but McGonagall shook her head, "No... Well... I suppose he has as well, actually. Probably the cause of it, in fact".

"Minerva?" Remus questioned, confused, and she glanced over at him before sighing, "Alex Rider. Fighting all those Death Eaters at the Leaky Cauldron... And Harry fighting alongside him, no less".

* * *

He came to an abrupt stop.

* * *

"You know Alex?!"

She frowned and turned to face him properly, "The boy did not tell you?"

"Well, to be honest, he hasn't actually told us much. Siri and I only met him last night, and then we left early this morning at about eight, so we didn't see him then either".

She gave a somewhat-knowing smile, "Oh, don't worry Remus, you may not have seen him this morning, but he most definitely saw you... Alex doesn't particularly like to sleep, and he was always a bit of an early riser anyway".

The werewolf frowned, "Minerva... How, exactly, do you know him?"

She sighed, "Alex was… is… quite a unique boy, Remus".

"I heard" He replied softly, "I saw him in the Ministry after the war and dug around a little... I got approached by a rather _important_ woman who explained the story to me... All the things he's done for this country… I honestly barely believed he even existed until yesterday evening".

She slowly nodded, "Yes, well, he's had more than his fair share of bad experiences, to put it mildly. More than even Harry himself, and that's saying something... And when we found him… Well, enough about that, it's a story for another time, perhaps. I believe Dumbledore will explain things much better than myself anyway. He is the one who introduced us after all…"

* * *

"Come in".

Opening the door, McGonagall ushered Remus inside, before stepping in herself, and placing a strong silencing charm on the room.

That simple action alone, was enough to put Remus on edge.

* * *

"Ah, Mr Lupin, I'm afraid it's been too long" Dumbledore said cheerily, "You are well, I hope? And Mr Black? Still getting up to mischief, as usual? He always did have a talent for quite the eccentric jokes".

Remus smiled, "Yes, Headmaster, we're all fine. And Sirius has been doing his fair share of pranking recently, so I believe that he has never been better".

"Good, that's good" He replied, before gesturing towards the seat in front of his desk, "Please, sit. I have a feeling I know why you're here".

"It seems that everyone does" the Werewolf replied, "But I am still at loss as to how".

And suddenly, the Headmaster grew weary.

"You have not yet seen the paper, have you, my boy?"

Remus frowned, "The paper? What has the paper got to do with anything?"

Sighing, Dumbledore picked up the Daily Prophet from his desk, and handed it to him.

And there, across the front page were the words:

 **'BOY WHO LIVED NO LONGER MOST POWERFUL?'**

Remus stared, slowly reaching forwards and picking up the paper, quickly glancing through the article.

Below the title there was a large moving photo of Harry and Alex side by side in the Leaky Cauldron, both with their arms outstretched, one with a wand, and one without.

Further down the page, there were two more photos, one of Alex squaring off Kingsley and the Minister all-but running away, and the other, Harry and Alex again, this time facing each other as they stood outside Knockturn Alley.

The article itself, took up the entire page, impossible to miss, and as Remus read through it, he got more and more frustrated.

 **'Boy Who Lived has new competition in town…'**

' **He's obviously less powerful than this new wizard…'**

' **After today's fight, he came out on top…'**

' **Stronger than He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? I believe he is…'**

' **Is a new dark wizard emerging before our very eyes? I firmly believe…'**

' **Alexander Jonathan Rider, but who is he? Is he-'**

And there, at the bottom of the page, were two words.

 _Rita. Skeeter._

* * *

Glaring at the name, he looked back up at Dumbledore, "How the _hell_ did she get these photos?!"

"I'm afraid I don't know" He replied sadly, "But needless to say, she has blown things considerably out of proportion. I fear that every wizard in Britain has read the front page at this stage… And there's nothing we can do but to wait for it all to blow over".

"He got out of this life, Albus" McGonagall interrupted, "Alex does _not_ need the extra fame right now".

"He's been put through a lot worse, Minerva. Though it may make him uncomfortable-"

"-that's putting it mildly-"

"-he will continue on the same way he always does" the Headmaster finished, "You know what that boy's like. He'll survive anything they throw at him".

"Will someone please tell me just _how the hell you two know him?!_ " Remus finally snapped.

* * *

They shared at look for a minute, before Dumbledore sighed and turned back to him, "I'm afraid I can't do that, Remus. It's Alex's story to tell… But I just want you to know that how he got his extraordinary powers was… Painful. Unnatural. Unorthodox… But none of it, _none_ of it, was Alex's fault, do you hear me? _None of it_ ".

He frowned, "So… Alex isn't… a wizard?"

"Oh no, he's a wizard alright. And a very powerful one at that… He just didn't get his magic at age eleven".

"So, he's never attended Hogwarts? Ever?"

Dumbledore sighed once again, "I'm afraid not. I approached him about it, when he was 15 years old, but… He turned me down. Politely, yet quickly".

"But then… How does he have so much control over it? The sheer power that just _radiates_ off of him is..."

Remus trailed off, not capable of finding an appropriate enough word.

"... He spent a few months here" Albus finally said, "During the summer, after we... found him... He taught himself most things. The topics he _didn't_ understand, he came to myself or Minerva with".

He smiled, "In fact, now that I think about it, he reminded me a lot of you when you first started Hogwarts. His thirst for knowledge was just... endless".

Remus flushed lightly, but refused to let himself get derailed by the change of topic.

"You said that you _found_ him? What do you mean by that?"

"… Alex will tell you in his own time, Mr Lupin" the Headmaster replied, "But now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very important meeting to attend…"

* * *

Standing up and heading for the door, Remus could only feel that he had gotten no answers from the Headmaster…

Only more questions.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"And that's all he said?" Sirius asked, as they stepped out of the fireplace back into their sitting room.

"That's all he said" Remus confirmed, brushing the stray ashes off his jacket.

* * *

Hearing voices from the kitchen, Sirius glanced down at his watch.

11am.

They had only been gone for 2 hours or so.

And he smelt food.

* * *

Walking through the hall and down the stairs to the source of the delicious aroma, he found Alex bent over a frying pan on the hob, poking and prodding at something that smelt divine, and his godson sitting at the kitchen table, staring at him with hunger in his eyes.

It also appeared that he had walked straight into the middle of an argument.

* * *

"-better scrambled! How could you even say that?!" Harry exclaimed.

"Simple. I just open my mouth, and the words come out" Alex shot back.

Sirius was aware of Remus silently walking up next to him.

Harry glared at the teen, "No. You're wrong. Scrambled are just disgusting! Fried eggs are _so_ much better!"

And without turning around, Alex threw a towel at him, hitting him square in the face, "If you don't shut up, I'll fry you!"

Remus sighed, "Well… I guess I should be glad that you're bickering like an old married couple, and not burning down the house down when left unsupervised".

* * *

Harry jumped a mile in the air, and spun around to face us, his wand half drawn before he realised who it was.

* * *

Alex, on the other hand, didn't even blink, instead just simply said, "And that's why you're more likely to die than I am".

He turned back around to face him, and glared at the blonde, "Oh, don't you _dare_ start this up again, or I'll-"

"Remus, Sirius, please, have a seat" Alex smoothly interrupted, "I made breakfast… Or, in your case, lunch".

Grinning, Sirius happily ran over to the table and sat down, ecstatic to get free food, while Remus gave a disapproving frown, "Alex, you know you didn't have to cook. Or at the very least, Harry should have helped".

"Hey, don't look at me like that!" Potter protested, "The second I suggested fried eggs, he Locomotor Mortised me in this chair!"

Alex sighed, and turned around, snapping his fingers, "There, it's gone, happy?"

He gingerly stretched his sore legs, "Very… About those eggs, though…"

* * *

A half hour later, and they all sat at the kitchen, happily patting their full stomachs.

"Man, I don't know about you guys, but that breakfast might even surpass Remus's cooking" Harry said contently, and Sirius nodded, "There's definitely some competition there, alright. We'll just have to see who makes the best desert to cast the final decision".

Both men raised an eyebrow at them.

Sirius coughed uncomfortably, trying and failing to avoid the glare his husband was sending him, "Yea. So. Ah… Do you two see the paper today?"

* * *

Remus kicked him underneath the table.

* * *

Harry swallowed, "Ah, yea… Yea, we saw it this morning".

"Right… Any ideas how that bitch got your photos?"

"SIRIUS!" Remus scolded loudly, but the elder paid him no attention, "I mean, you already told us what _actually_ happened at the Leaky Cauldron, but Skeeter's turn of events makes it sound like a Light versus Dark showdown. I almost expected her to throw in a few unicorns from the Forbidden Forest at the end".

Alex frowned, "Wait, unicorns actually exist?"

Harry shuddered, "Yea, don't remind me".

The blonde gave him a weird look and he sighed.

"... I saw Voldemort drinking from one in my 1st year at Hogwarts".

"... Like a vampire?"

Harry nodded, "Yea. Like a vampire... Only a hell of a lot creepier".

* * *

"On a brighter note" Sirius announced, "You two are going to be hounded by reporters and paparazzi for the next few days".

" _That's_ the brighter note?" Harry asked incredulously, and he sighed, "Well, it's brighter than dead unicorns anyway".

"I was talking to Headmaster Dumbledore" Remus interrupted, not wanting the two to start bickering again.

"And?" Harry asked.

The wolf watched the blonde carefully for his reaction, "And he said that Alex has had his fair share of fame thrown at him".

The youngest wizard immediately tensed.

"Oh yea?" Sirius teased, "So what's the deal? Are you a famous celebrity in America or Australia or somewhere?"

"... No" He replied tightly, "I'm not that type of famous".

Black stared at him sombrely, "... Alex, I'm about to ask you a very serious question and I want you to answer truthfully, okay?"

He frowned, uncomfortably shifting in his seat, "Okay..."

Sirius took a deep breath, "... Are you a mob boss?"

* * *

Harry burst out laughing, and Remus couldn't hold back a small, albeit nervous, smile.

* * *

The blonde shook his head, smirking, "No, Sirius, I'm not a mob boss".

"But you _are_ famous for the wrong reasons, yea?"

Alex didn't answer.

"I'll take that as a yes, then" He said, "Okay. So. You're infamous. But why?"

The younger wizard tensed up even further, and Remus frowned.

* * *

It was obvious that Alex didn't want to be questioned, even more so than he didn't want to answer the questions. And if they pushed him too far... they might not get him back.

* * *

Remus turned to face his husband, and kicked him lightly under the table, shooting the man a dark look when he glanced over at him questioningly.

Thankfully, for all the fun and games that Sirius played, he knew when it was time to sober up.

Harry, however, occasionally had rather... _dim_... moments.

* * *

"Well?" He pressed, "What did you do?"

"I..." Alex trailed off, clearly not wanting to answer but not wanting to leave Harry hanging either.

"I... I'm..." He stopped, swallowing thickly, and his eyes dropped to his plate of scrambled eggs.

Remus sighed, "... It's nothing to be ashamed of, Alex".

He snapped his gaze back up to his warm brown eyes.

"... You don't know everything I've done".

"I know enough" He replied honestly, and he slowly nodded, "You also know how different people treat you after finding out your darkest secret".

"I do. But whereas mine is something to be ashamed of, yours should be congratulated... Yet you still don't want people to know?" He asked confused.

"As I said. They treat you differently... Take Potter, for example. He's done as much for England as I have. He's famous amongst you wizards... Yet what is the single thing he wanted the most during his school years?"

Harry smirked ironically, "Not to be famous".

"Exactly. Are his achievements something to be ashamed of?"

Remus frowned, "Of course not. What Harry did was... Remarkable".

"And yet he still wished to be invisible once people heard of the good he did..." Alex continued, "My situation is much the same".

"And yet if you were not so young, every household in the world would know your name, both muggles and wizards alike".

"Maybe..." He agreed, "But I am young. And there's not a family in the world who _does_ know my name... And that's precisely the way I want it to stay" And then, as an afterthought, "Not the young part though. That can change. Being underaged causes many alcohol... legality issues, as such".

Sirius smirked, "Young, good looking, sharp tongued, and loves to drink... You know what, Harry? I think I'm going to like your new friend very much".


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

*BEEP-BEEP… BEEP-BEEP*

Frowning, Alex pulled out his mobile and glanced at the caller before suddenly paling, his eyes widening as he swallowed thickly.

He looked back up, "I'm sorry, I've got to take this".

Remus nodded, and he stood up, walking over to the stairs and into the hall above, flipping open the phone as he went, "Rider".

* * *

"Where the _hell_ are you?"

Alex sighed, walking down the hall only to stop at the front-door.

He should have expected this.

"I've got new living arrangements".

"I noticed. Why did you leave Knockturn Alley?"

"... Have you been following me?" He suddenly asked, and she immediately went on the defence, "What? No! Of course I haven't!"

" _Jones_ " Alex warned, and she paused, "... I've had a few agents on you for the past week. I was... Mildly concerned about your wellbeing. Now where are you?!"

That explained the three suspicious looking wizards tailing him, then.

Alex sighed, "Jones, calm down. I'm safe, alright? I'm okay".

"Yes, well, you'd be safer here!" She retorted, and I glared at the wall opposite, "With you, you mean? At the bank?"

"Exactly".

"Well then, sorry to ruin your perfect safe haven, but in case you don't remember, that's where I got shot".

"Alex-"

"And also kidnapped".

" _Alex_ ".

"And I believe stabbed a few months ago".

"ALRIGHT!" Jones snapped, "You've made your point... Will you come in?"

"For what?"

"For a... friendly chat".

"You don't know the meaning of the word".

"Alex-"

"I'll be there soon" He cut off, snapping the phone shut before she could reply.

* * *

"Did you fire them?"

" _What the-_ " Jones froze as she spun around, seeing Alex casually splayed out across her office couch.

" _How the hell did you get in here?!_ "

He raised an eyebrow at her and she paused, "… Yea, on second thoughts, don't answer that".

Taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart and compose herself, she walked over to her desk, picking up a peppermint as she sat down.

Alex waiting until the rustling of paper had stopped before repeating his earlier question.

"Did you fire them?"

"Who?"

"The three men you had following me. They did lose me, after all".

"… No. No, I didn't fire them. I thought it was only-" She abruptly stopped and snapped her head up, "... Three? The _three_ men? I never told you how many I'd sent out".

"I know" the Blonde replied, "I saw them".

She narrowed her eyes, "Perhaps I'll reconsider on not firing them then. Not only did they lose their mark, but now they let their cover get blown as well?"

"Without even realising it" Alex finished, sitting up properly on the couch to face her.

She sighed, "They don't make them like they used to, anymore. The new recruits these days are just a bunch of impulsive cowards".

"You mean they're not like me".

Mrs Jones stared at him for a minute before looking down at her hands, both clasped tightly on her desk, "As much as I hate to say it, Alex… You were by far the best agent we ever had, and if I could go back in time to when we first met, I'd do the same thing all over again".

His gaze hardened, "Even Cairo?"

Regret panged loudly in her heart, "Even Cairo".

* * *

The 17-year-old abruptly stood up, "Goodbye Jones".

And as he marched towards the door she found herself rising in her seat as well, "Believe me, Alex. What happened to you in Egypt is not something I'd wish on even my worse enemies, and I have _a lot_ of enemies… But it made you the person you are today. A wizard… Would you honestly give that back, give magic back, just to forget what happened?"

He stilled, hand on the doorknob.

"… Just because there was one useful outcome, Jones, doesn't it make everything alright".

"I know it doesn't. And you know that I can never apologise enough for what happened… but I think this 'one useful outcome' is actually going to do you some good. Word on the street is that you've moved in with Harry Potter".

"And?"

"And is it true?"

He paused, debating on whether or not to tell her, "... It is".

"I saw the Daily Prophet article" She replied, "About you and Potter duelling those Death Eaters... You've made quite a name for yourself in the wizarding world".

He sighed and collapsed back down on the couch, "... Skeeter's calling me the next Dark Lord".

"They realise how much power you have".

"They fear me" He corrected, "... I wanted to lay-low, Jones".

"Then why did you fight back?" She asked, still sucking on her peppermint.

He glared at her, "Well what did you want me to do? Just sit back? Watch that stupid boy with a hero-complex get himself killed?!"

The corner of her mouth twitched upwards, "He's not the only one with a hero-complex, you know".

He stared at her for a minute before huffing out a laugh and relaxing once more, "... The entire wizarding world will have read the Prophet's article by now".

"I believe they have".

"So they all know name... They all think I'm more powerful than Lord Voldemort ever was".

"You are".

He angrily ran a hand through his hair, "I know I am! I just... I didn't..."

"You didn't want them to know that" Jones finished softly, and he nodded, "Yea... I just thought that... that maybe... maybe I could have a somewhat normal life. One filled with magic and dragons and unicorns, and did you know that unicorns actually exist? Because apparently, they do, and sure it wouldn't have been a _normal_ normal life, but it would have been... calm. Almost boring... It would have been perfect".

"But instead you defeat seven Death Eaters with a flick of your flick, publicity tell the wizarding equivalent of the Queen of England to fuck off, and catch the eye of the most famous man in the wizarding world".

Alex laughed once more, albeit reluctantly, "Yea, yea, that... that, ah... that pretty much sums things up".

* * *

"So, how's your normal life with none-other-than-Harry-Potter going?"

"It's... different. I met his two godfathers" He replied, "Sirius is a complete flirt. Good fun, though. And Remus... Remus Lupin seems to know a hell of a lot more than he should when it comes to me. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Possibly".

"And how much did you tell him?"

"Nothing too detailed" She reassured him, "Just that you were a teenage spy... The rough number of missions you went on... Your interactions with the various intelligence agencies around the globe... Everything I said was kept very vague".

"Okay... Well, I better get back or they'll start wondering" Alex said, standing up, and she nodded, "Alright... And, Alex?"

He glanced back at her, "Yes Tulip?"

"I'm... happy... for you" She replied slowly, "I'm happy that you're staying with Harry Potter".

He frowned, "Why?"

She gave a small, rare, beautiful smile, "Because if there's anyone is this world, both magical and muggle alike, that could ever possibly understand what you went through? I believe it's him".


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Remus sighed and reluctantly closed his book.

Glancing over at the clock, he swore softly when he saw what time it was.

It wouldn't be the first time he'd gone to bed well past midnight because of a good book, and it wasn't like he would actually regret it the next morning, but there was only so many cups of tea he could consume in a day to keep him awake, and he'd been succeeding that limit quite a lot recently...

Standing up, he slowly stretched out his stiff joints, before throwing a block of wood into the fire and turning off the sitting room lights. Heading up the old rickety stairs, he made sure to avoid all the creaky steps so as to not wake the other, and silently made his way down the hall to his and Sirius's room.

* * *

When he got half-way, however, he came to an abrupt stop.

* * *

He listened closely.

He could have sworn he'd heard a... whimper?

And there it was again.

Another cry.

Letting his wolf's senses take over, he sniffed the air and slowly turned around at an all-too-familiar acrid tasting scent.

* * *

Fear.

* * *

Slowly walking back through the corridor, he passed Harry's room, and finally came to a stop outside an old wooden door.

Regulus's room.

Or, more accurately... Alex's room.

* * *

Pausing, he debated on what to do.

He could hear faint whimpers and cries coming from inside the room, and his wolf just ached to climb out and scratch a hole in the door to go in and comfort his youngest cub. So, option one, go in.

But his wolf also told him that said-newest-cub was still asleep.

So, there was no intruder then.

Just... nightmares.

But even spies needed saving from them sometimes.

* * *

Taking a deep breath, Remus chose the second option, and reached up before knocked quietly on the black wooden door, "... Alex?"

Nothing.

Another whimper.

He clenched his jaw and knocked on the door again, louder this time as worry bubbled up inside of him, "Alex?"

The boy still didn't wake.

Slowly reaching down, he grasped the cool handle of the door, and pushed it open.

* * *

Peering into the room, he allowed his eyesight to adjust to the lack of light, and, for once, thanked his wolf for the nocturnal gaze.

Stepping into the dark room, he gently closed the door behind himself, and casted a Lumos around the room.

Turning on the overhead light could wake the boy with a start, and he would most definitely panic when momentarily blinded upon waking.

Slowly creeping forwards, Remus located the blonde boy twisted amongst the sheets, a sheen of sweat covering his forehead, and his limbs occasionally twitching in place.

He was in the middle of a nightmare.

 _Or a flashback,_ Remus thought, remembering the first few months after Sirius had returned from twelve years in Azkaban.

Keeping that though in mind, he carefully sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to remember what had calmed his husband all those years ago.

"Alex?" He called softly.

No answer.

"Alex, you need to wake up" He tried again.

Nothing.

Sighing, he cautiously reached forwards, perfectly well aware that this was a trained spy he was dealing with that could very easily kill him even while still asleep.

He gently shook his shoulder, "Alex, come on".

Silence.

"You're dreaming, Cub, you need to wake up".

He only tossed and turned some more.

Dropping his hand, he stared at the troubled teen, a look of pain coming over the blonde's features.

Okay, so, Sirius's method didn't work.

But he had dealt with more than post-traumatic-stress-disorder sufferer in the past, and for Harry, there was only one thing that calmed him down after he woke in a cold sweat from remembering parts of the war.

"Alex? Alex, it's Remus, okay?" He said softly, gently running his hands through the boy's blonde hair, "It's okay, Alex, everything's okay now, I promise. Will you wake up for me? Nothing bad is happening out here. It's just a dream, Alex. You need to wake up. I'm here, you're alright, you just need to wake up, okay?"

* * *

And rather surprisingly, it eventually worked.

* * *

Alex woke with a start, and immediately sat up, gasping for breath, chest heaving under the strain.

The room was basked in a warm white light, and there was someone's hand on his shoulder, soft and comforting.

"Hey, Alex, you're alright, you're fine, okay? It's just me, it's just Remus. You're safe now, I promise. It was just a dream. It was all just a dream..."

The soothing words and reassurances continued until his breathing had finally evened out and he didn't feel like collapsing at any given time without warning.

"... You alright?"

He slowly turned to face the voice.

Remus sat on the bed next to him, concern and worry etched into his features, but a clear look of understanding in his eyes.

"Are you alright?" He repeated, but Alex carefully avoided the question, not wanting to lie to the kind-hearted man.

Staring down at the pale hand that still rested warmly on his shoulder, he spoke.

"Did I wake you?"

"No".

"... Ok".

* * *

And if the next morning, Alex came downstairs looking a little more tired and haggard than usual, nobody mentioned it.

And if Harry teased and annoyed him by asking how his lazy lie-in had gone, he didn't rise to the bait.

And if Alex looked directly at Remus as he replied with a "it was fine, thank you", well, no one but the pair themselves were to know the true meaning behind the words.

* * *

 _So yes_ , Remus decided, smiling into this tea cup and watching the two younger wizards bicker back and forth, Sirius animatedly trying to keep up with the two, _I could very gladly get used to this in the morning indeed._


End file.
